Iovance Biotherapeutics

Maria Fardis, Ph.D.

Iovance Biotherapeutics, President/CEO

Dr. Maria Fardis serves as President, Chief Executive Officer and President at Iovance Biotherapeutics. She serves as Board Member at Kartos Therapeutics. She has extensive experience in drug development and novel cancer treatments. Prior to joining Lion Biotechnologies, Dr. Fardis was chief operating officer at Acerta Pharma working on the development of acalabrutinib until the company's acquisition by AstraZeneca. Before joining Acerta, Dr. Fardis held the position of chief of oncology operations and alliances at Pharmacyclics where she oversaw development of ibrutinib (IMBRUVICA®), abexinostat (HDAC inhibitor), and FVIIa inhibitor programs. She was a key contributor in the creation of a broad clinical program for ibrutinib, as well as NDA and MAA submissions. Previously, Dr. Fardis held a number of key scientific and management roles at Gilead Sciences. At Gilead, she was involved with multiple therapeutic areas including antivirals, oncology, and cardiovascular therapeutics and worked on the development and life cycle management of ambrisentan (Letairis®). She received her PhD in organic chemistry from UC Berkeley and holds an MBA from Golden Gate University.

Sara Pellegrino

Iovance Biotherapeutics, VP:Investor Relations & Public Relations

Dr. Fardis joined Iovance as President and Chief Executive Officer, and was appointed to the Company’s Board of Directors, in 2016. Prior to Iovance, Dr. Fardis served as the Chief Operating Officer of Acerta Pharma B.V., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, where she worked on the development of Calquence® until the company’s acquisition by AstraZeneca. Previously, Dr. Fardis worked at Pharmacyclics, Inc., where she was a key contributor in the creation of a broad clinical program leading to global approvals for Imbruvica® in multiple hematologic malignancies, and where she served as Chief of Oncology Operations and Alliances. Prior to joining Pharmacyclics, Dr. Fardis held increasingly senior positions in Medicinal Chemistry and the project and portfolio management department at Gilead Sciences, Inc., where she was involved with multiple therapeutic areas including antivirals, oncology, and cardiovascular therapeutics and worked on the development and life cycle management of Letairis®. Dr. Fardis received her Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley and her B.S., summa cum laude, in Chemistry from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Fardis holds an M.B.A., with highest honors, from Golden Gate University.